Can Apple iPhone X’s FaceID Distinguish between Identical Twins?

Apple has announced earlier that the new FaceID authentication technology of its new iPhone X may struggle to identify the identical twins and users under the age of 13. Now, various media sources have revealed that the new face recognition technology is actually far better than what Apple has claimed; however, the differentiation of identical twins is a pain.

As everyone knows, the Apple iPhone X is the first device to come with the all-new FaceID feature. It is an advanced face-mapping technology which can unlock the iPhone and help to perform various security functions. It has replaced the iconic TouchID feature of iPhone.

Furthermore, the company has claimed that the FaceID is way more secure than the TouchID. To specify, Apple said that there is a 1-in-1 million false acceptance rate, whereas the TouchID has a 1-in-50,000 false acceptance rate.

A renowned media source, Mashable has recently conducted a twin test to understand the accuracy of FaceID in the case of twins. It has mentioned in a report they have tested the FaceID feature on iPhone X with identical twins and have some key findings.

The report mentioned that when one among the twin brothers registered his face on the iPhone X, the FaceID worked really well. However, when he handed the same iPhone X device to his identical twin brother, the phone failed to differentiate the identical twin and the registered user and unlocked the device. Moreover, the device failed even if both brothers removed their glasses. It unlocked again.

Separately, TheWallStreetJournal also reported the twin test on iPhone X. The test was conducted using masks, costumes and eight-year-old identical triplets. According to this report, the Apple FaceID is competent to sense the photo or mask of the registered user. The iPhone X certainly recognises the photocopy of the registered user. However with the silicon mask, it recognises the mask as the registered user; still, don’t unlock the device because the FaceID knows it’s somebody else trying to dupe its mechanism.

BusinessInsider has also experienced the FaceID with twins. They found that the FaceID works well and can distinguish the two people even when they are twins. They tried cheating the FaceID by using accessories like hat, sunglasses, and a scarf. But, the FaceID ignored all changes and recognised only the registered user.

To be fair, it is very early to make a judgment on the new FaceID feature. It is worth mentioning that Apple did warn about the probability of twins matching the face-mapping tech. On contrary, the tech can differentiate the registered user and the intruders.

Until the new feature is experienced by large users, it will be hard to say whether the FaceID really works well or not. Till then, let us know what you feel about the new FaceID feature of Apple iPhone X in the comments section.